Second:  We have a title!  Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus

The Topic:  Making disciples and creating a culture of discipleship in our parishes.

You'll be hearing more, of course, as this progresses.  But encouraging news all the way round.  Praise God.

Welcome to EWTN and Ave Maria Radio listeners!  We're excited that you are seeking to discern how God has empowered you for the sake of others and for the sake of his redemptive work in the world and the Church.

For upcoming live Called & Gifted workshops, check out our calendar.

For more information about the Called & Gifted discernment process in general, check this out.

To obtain a copy of the Called & Gifted small group set (that Vanessa was using), go here.

For Called & Gifted basics for an individual, call our office at 878 678 6789 or send us an e-mail at info@siena.org.

To contact Sherry Weddell, drop me a line at sherry@siena.org.

Blessings on your discernment!

Saint Francis de Sales was famous among his contemporaries for his holiness, which was also expressed through good manners. “His biographies speak of Francis as a perfect gentleman with everyone, whether they were noble, learned, or simple people,” says Father Scudu, “a man who always had a smile for the people he spoke with, who treated everyone with kindness and friendliness; who, when arguing with his Protestant adversaries, never used harsh, threatening, arrogant, or humiliating words. His adversaries came away from Francis perhaps unconvinced by his theological arguments, but won over all the same by his always-respectful behavior.” He himself summarized the importance of good manners in his own pastoral work, saying: “You attract more flies with a drop of honey than a barrel of vinegar.”

But what did Francis de Sales know?  He had only gone in on foot, by himself, and re-evangelized an entire area of alpine France where every Catholic church had been padlocked for 60 years because its ruler was Protestant.  He was only a bishop and the man whom, his generation - the "generation of saints" who began the Catholic revival that transformed France and whose effect lasted 150 years - regarded as the greatest living saint.  He is only a Doctor of the Church.

Frances de Sales didn't have to deal with idiots in comboxes.  What could he possibly have to say to us?  After all, someone out there on the internet is wrong!

It combines arguments and facts with practical media skills, hearing the ‘question behind the question’ and listening for the ‘positive intention’  behind the criticisms. It gives insider tips on how to present arguments clearly, compellingly and concisely in a quick-fire atmosphere.

from a review in Eureka Street:

"The teaching and practice of the Catholic Church are summarised, the reasons for them explained, and the objections against them teased out.

The treatment is urbane, respectful of journalists and of the media to which they belong. In each case attention is paid to the positive values that underlie both Catholic teaching and the objections raised by its critics. The eirenical character of the presentation flows from the simple principles of good communication enunciated in the book. They are based on respect due to partners in conversation and on recognition of the positive values that animate them. Respect enables differences to be explored in a way that generates light, not heat, speaks to the heart as well as the mind, is compassionate, and focuses on winning people rather than winning battles. Respect for truth entails respect for those who seek it, despite disagreements with the positions they take."

You can get a copy in the US through Amazon.

"We have very strong growth among Pentecostal movements. That is a new reality worldwide, which is almost the second largest [Christian] movement after the Catholic Church. Actually we should speak of a Pentecostalization of ecumenism."

But there is an even more astonishing kind of Christianity emerging on the horizon. The Vatican Insider has a piece this morning about a mysterious Kuwaiti Prince who recorded a radio broadcast saying that he had become a Christian. I found it interesting that VI acknowledges the reality of a growing number of Muslim background believers.

I've been tracking it as best I can but only became aware last week of the stunning acceleration in the number of converts from Islam to Christianity that has taken place over the past decade. As in a half million Bengali Muslims who have become Christians, 300,000 among North African Berbers, 350,000 in Iran and more in the Iranian diaspora. Not to mention the explosive T4 movement in Muslim areas of China. Based upon what I was reading last week, it seems that there must be at least one million Muslim Background Believers in the world now,  which in world history terms is absolutely unprecedented.  90-95% of these conversions have occurred over the past 20 years, most in the past decade!

Because of the historic distrust and vast cultural differences between "historic" Christians and these brand new Christians, we are seeing the development of two separate forms of Christianity in the Muslim world. Some of these new Christ-followers are not baptized, some are.

It is not impossible to envision a point where there will be more "new" Christians from Muslim backgrounds than "historic" Christians living in the traditional Muslim world. Another unprecedented challenge in the area of ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue.

(cf. 1 Cor 15:51-58)

Pope Benedict's catechesis today was challenging:

Here are some Vatican resources for this week.

The book manuscript on parish-based evangelization is done.  I sent it to my editor at Our Sunday Visitor last week.  The original plan was publication this June but we'll see.

Since I only had 5 months to get it done, I worked 12 + hours a day, 7 days a week except for Christmas and when I was already scheduled to be on the road.  So, no time for blogging.

Here's a taste from Chapter 3 "The Weight of My Neighbor's Glory"

The presence of a significant number of disciples changes everything: a parish’s spiritual tone, energy level, attendance, bottom line, and what parishioners ask of their leaders.

Disciples pray with passion.  Disciples worship.  Disciples love the Church and serve her with energy and joy.  Disciples give lavishly.  Disciples hunger to learn more about their faith.  Disciples fill every formation class in the parish or diocese. Disciples manifest charisms and discern vocations. They clamor to discern God’s call because they long to live it.  Disciples evangelize because they have really good news to share.  Disciples share their faith with their children.  Disciples care about the poor and about issues of justice.  Disciples take risks for the Kingdom of God.

The Holy Spirit is planting charisms and vocations of amazing diversity in the hearts of all his people.  Like the graces of the sacrament, they are real but they are not magic.  Just as the gifts of children must be fostered deliberately and with great energy by parents if their children are to reach their full potential, so vocations must be fostered by the Church.  In this area, we are not asking for too much, we are settling for too little.  God is not asking us to call forth the gifts and vocations of a few people; he is asking us to call forth the gifts and vocations of millions.  Our problem is not that there is a shortage of vocations but that we do not have the support systems and leadership in place to foster the vast majority of the vocations that God has given us.  Most fundamentally, when we fail to call our own to discipleship, we are unwittingly pushing away the vast majority of the vocations God has given us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7INsC6Ts3qc